The quaint non-touristy town…Dubrovnik, Croatia

On our first cruise of the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Jade made a stop at Dubrovnik, Croatia…which was our next stop after our visit to Venice, Italy. I was so exhausted from walking non-stop in Venice that I wasn’t sure if I was going to get off the ship to explore…and I’m glad I made the decision to view the city.

Dubrovnik instantly became one of the favorite places to visit. Croatia had a civil war in the 1990s and has just begun to re-invent itself enough that tourists can come and safely visit the country. So, because of their civil war, the city wasn’t toured like major cities like Venice, Rome or Barcelona…leaving the city clean and unchartered. The harbor was untouched…it was the only one that we’ve visited that I felt I could swim in without my skin burning off because of the contaminated water. The water surrounding Dubrovnik was clear as turquoise glass. You could see down for what seemed like miles and miles.



The people of Dubrovnik were so kind and helpful. We asked this lady on the street where to eat and she directed us to the best place…where the food was cheap and the beer was tasty! You could really trust the people of Dubrovnik and know that they were happy that you (as a tourist) were there. You didn’t have to worry about pick-pockets or thieves. They were happy for the revenue tourists were bringing to the city…because of the civil war tourism hasn’t been booming which has lead to a decline in their economy. Though, today Dubrovnik’s tourism has taken a turn for the better…and I’m glad that we were able to experience this town before it gets polluted with tourists.

When I was there I chose to climb up the city wall and walk around the entire city. Yep, that’s right! The city of Dubrovnik still to this day has a standing wall that encompasses the entire city, which is very unusual. If there was ever a city to have a wall around it, it has since been removed…but not in Dubrovnik. The city wall gave Dubrovnik another interesting characteristic which sets it apart from all other Mediterranean cities.



Up above the city wall, you could look down on the city seeing everything…locals attending church, hanging laundry out to dry, boats pulling into the harbor, tourists shopping for souvenirs, children playing soccer, etc. You could also view the outside of the city as well. The views from the city wall were spectacular…check out some of my pictures.